A preliminary immunopharmacological study of an antiendometriotic herbal medicine, Keishi-bukuryo-gan

Changes in the specific antiendometrial IgM antibodies in an endometriotic patient, who were treated with leuproride acetate and in turn with Keishi-bukuyogan, were investigated by the flowcytometric analysis which was developed in our laboratory. The oriental therapy decreased the specific IgM antibody titer gradually and kept the patient symptom-free for more than 7 months without any suppression of serum CA125 and estradiol levels. On the other hand, leuproride acetate therapy suppressed both serum CA125 and serum estradiol levels but not the IgM antibody titer. The results suggest that the specific antiendometrial IgM autoantibody could be a pathogenic molecule in endometriosis and it could also serve as a clinical marker for the oriental therapy of endometriosis.